Top of Her Class

An ECW-supported programme, delivered by UNHCR, is improving literacy rates and learning outcomes for refugees in Chad

Por Education Cannot Wait

24 de May de 2023

At the age of three, Hawa experienced two big life events.

The first was the biggest challenge of her life, when she fled the conflict in the Central African Republic and became a refugee in Chad. The second – a story of triumph and resilience in the face of adversity – as Hawa began her formal education and, despite the odds, became among the best in her class.

In 2014, Hawa and her mother fled the Central African Republic – a country plagued by crises such as armed conflict, instability, climate-induced disasters and recurring violence that have forcibly displaced more than 740,000 people. Hawa and her mother sought refuge in neighboring Chad, a country that hosts the 4th largest refugee population in Africa. Since 2022, Chad has granted asylum to more than 500,000 refugees from countries such as Central African Republic, Nigeria and Sudan.

There, Hawa settled in Doholo Refugee Camp. She was soon able to enroll in the camp’s Primary School, where refugee students and host community students study side-by-side.

Hawa studying for her classes. Photo credit @ UNHCR/Irene Fouyaba

“I started school when I came to Chad. I didn’t get to go to preschool before [in the Central African Republic] because my village didn’t have one. In Chad, every day I was in a hurry to join my class because I wanted to learn to read, write and speak French. Now I know how to do all these things and I am helping the new girls get used to my school.” ~Hawa

Today, Hawa is 11 years old and thriving in school. Thanks to the Education Cannot Wait (ECW) First Emergency Response Grant in Chad, delivered by UNHCR, Doholo Primary School has been expanded to include an additional 12 new classrooms, nine new teachers, one water point, an administration building, and a teachers' office and workspace.

Teachers at Hawa’s school have also received extra training support to help new refugee students adapt to their environment. By providing mental health and psychosocial support services and other holistic educational opportunities, ECW and partners are making sure that girls and boys like Hawa can access education and continue to learn in safe and protective environments.

ECW investments are also helping to expand and support preschool and secondary schools in the area, ensuring that Hawa and other vulnerable children can overcome challenges to complete their full education cycle. This expansion has made it possible for the 12,800 refugee students at the Doholo Camp to gain access to both primary and secondary school. It is also helping to relieve the strain of limited educational resources available for all incoming and existing students.

Girls ready to learn in class in Chad. Photo credits @ UNICEF/Frank Dejongh

In Chad, the rates for literacy and transition into secondary school are low. The main roadblocks to education stem from multi-dimensional crises such as climate-induced disasters, internal displacement, COVID-19, poverty, instability and multiple refugee influxes from neighboring countries. According to UNICEF, the rates of illiteracy among children in Chad is 70%; for girls aged 15 to 24, the rate is 77%.

The Government of Chad has one of the most inclusive policies to allow refugee children to access the national school system, with over 100,000 young refugees attending formal school in 2021-2022, according to UNHCR. However, even prior to the most recent conflict in Sudan, Chad had about 600,000 refugees within its borders. Today, that number is over 800,000 – including hundreds of thousands of refugee children in need of educational support. This enormous and growing need, the limited existing infrastructure and strained resources are making it a challenge for schools to deliver quality education for all.

Students at Doholo Secondary School in Chad. Photo credit © UNCHR/Irene Fouyaba

When the refugee incoming students first arrived at Doholo Primary School, the vast majority could not read or write.

“I am saddened when my students do not understand the lessons. I use all the techniques I have learned in the Central African Republic and Chad to pass on the lessons to them.” ~Abdoulaye, teacher at Doholo Primary School

Dingambe, teacher at Doholo Primary School, stands in front of his classroom. Photo Credit © UNCHR/ Irene Fouyaba

Another teacher at the school, Dingambe, shared his concern about education opportunities and the limited resources available for both existing local students and incoming refugees. Dingambe finds that it places teachers in the difficult position of welcoming incoming refugees into the school system without the resources, tools and training they need.

To address these challenges, ECW-funded programmes in Chad target vulnerable incoming and existing students – with a focus on girls and children with disabilities – and support the expansion of educational resources, so all girls and boys in the country can access safe, inclusive quality education.

Since 2017, ECW has invested $41 million in Chad, reaching nearly 835,000 children – including about 156,000 internally displaced people and 200,000 refugees. ECW support includes a new $3 million allocation to provide safe and protective learning spaces to incoming refugees fleeing the war in Sudan.

A student smiles in her favorite class in Chad. Photo credit © UNICEF

Teacher Dingambe spoke about the positive impact of ECW support to the Doholo Primary School: “The school is located near two villages of the host community, namely Kondro and Peule. This proximity facilitates access to education for this population, which, before, had to travel long distances to be able to reach a school. It is also a factor to promote cohesion and mixing between refugees and locals.”

“Students also learn in well-constructed classrooms equipped with desks, instead of being in makeshift outdoor classrooms due to a lack of space. As such, they are protected against the sun and heat of Chad and from the rain and violent wind during the rainy season.” ~Dingambe, teacher at Doholo Primary School

For Hawa and her siblings, ECW support has contributed to improving their learning outcomes. Hawa is now one of the top students at her school – and has even been chosen by her teacher as a ‘transition buddy’ to ease the transition for incoming refugee students in her class, and make them feel welcomed and supported. "I am ranked among the best students in school; I was 3rd in the class. The new children who came were nervous at first, but now they’re happy to be in school," Hawa says.

“I want to become a doctor, which is why I take school very seriously. I am strong in calculation, conjugation and vocabulary. Next year I will be in 7th grade [lower-secondary school] and I hope to succeed in realizing my dream which is to take care of people's health, starting with my family, and my younger brothers and sisters in the camp.” ~Hawa

Student reading from the classroom board in Chad. Photo credits @ UNICEF/ Frank Dejongh

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